Razor blade sharpener



Aug. 15, 1950 A. M. EICHORN 2,519,

RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed Dec. 22, 1948 INVENTOR ATTO Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED; [STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 a. 2,519,033v 7' a nazoa' BLADE}; snanrannn v Arthur M.'Eichorn, New Yor-k, N. Y. Application December 22, 1948, serial o. 66.714

This invention relates to sharpening devices for edged tools, and more in particular to devices for sharpening safety razor blades. I

An object of this invention is to provide an improved sharpening device which is free of the objectionable characteristics of similar prior devices. A further object is to provide a simple and sturdy razor bladesharpenerwhich is inexpensive to manufacture. and yet highly efllcient in use. 'A further object is to provide asharpener for safety razor blades of either the somewhat flexible double-edged Gillette'f. type, or the more rigid single edge type. A further object is to provide a unitary sharpener of "the above char acter which'may be used to ffstrop, and fhone razor blades of different characteris'tics'and having different edgesh-apes. A still further object is to provide for the above with structurewhich is light in weight and s'turdy in construction and which is thoroughly practical in every respect. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointedout below; The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements. and arrangements of parts asi will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and Figure 1 is an end view to scale of a sharpener constituting one embodiment of theinvejntion; Figure 2 is a reduced-scale sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sharpener ofFigures land 2; I g

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing another embodiment of the inventions and,

Figure 5 is an end view on a reduced scale of the sharpener of Figure 4. r 5

Referring particularly to Figure l of the drawings, the sharpener is formed by a somewhat cylindrical wall structure 2 formed of clear glass and having two main sharpening portions 4 and 6. Portion [is a segment ofa cylinder, the axis of which is indicated at 8 and which has an irmer surface with a radius of two inches. The inner surface of portion 6 is also a segment of a cylin-..

3 Claims. gel. 515211) honing surface I 6 and" a stroppin surface l8. In the zones where portions 4 and 6 join there are two lnternalribs or ledge portions 20 one side of each of which forms extensions of surof honing and stroppingsurfaces I6 and I8 of obtain the sharpening action.

a radius of one and three-eighths inches and having another set of stropping and honing sur-.

faces l2 and M of a radius of two inches. The outer surface of the sharpener is frosted at 2| coextensive with the honing surfaces l2 and I6, and the remainder of the outer surface 23 is smooth glazed so that the sharpener is transparent throughout the extent of the stropping surfaces It and II.

The surfaces It and I8 are ideal for sharpening' a razor blade of the flexible double-edged or Gillette type, and during the sharpening of such a blade I! the sharpener may be positioned as shown with the blade laid onto the sharpening surface with the cutting edges of the blade parallel to the axis of the surface. The sharpener is grasped in one hand and one or two fingers.

of the other hand are. used to bow the blade slightly and move the blade back and forth to Preferably the movement is through an are as indicated by the double arrow in Figure 1 with the blade being first sharpened on surface 16 so that the edges are subjected to the even but relatively heavy honing action of this frosted surface. The blade is then slid lengthwise of the sharpener onto the stropping surface 3- and it is then moved back and forth on this surface soas to subject it to the stropping action. The curvature of these surfaces is'such that when pressure is applied against the blade the blade edges are held in the proper relationship with respect to the honing and stropping surfaces; and it has been found that this action leaves the blade in excellent condition for shaving. The blade is easily removed from either of surfaces I6 or I8 by sliding it around the surface and beyond either ofthe ribs 20. During such removal the well sharpened cutting edges are not blunted by coming into con- --tact with dulling surfaces, and theblade is removed without danger of cutting the fingers of the operator.

Blades of the morerigld single-edged type having a guard strip at the edge opposite the cutting edge are sharpened on surfaces l2 and I4. Thus, a blade 21 positioned as shown at the top of Figure 1 is rocked back and forth as indicated by the double arrow first on surface 12 and then on surface 14. At the edges of these surfaces the sharpening movement is limited by ribs 20 which are engaged by the finger or fingers holding the blade and the edge of the blade is not projected to the edge of the sharpening surfaces. This prevents blunting of the sharp edge as would occur if the sharp edge were projected against a surface of small curvature such as in channel 22. After the blade has been honed on surface I2 and stropped on surface If it is removed by sliding it endwise beyond the end of the sharp As indicated above, during the sharpening of the blade, the sharpener is grasped around its outer surface by one hand and the frosted surface 2| facilitates obtaining a firm grip while the 4. forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A device for sharpening safety razor blades comprising a shell formed of two portions each of which is substantially a segment of a cylinder and presents an inner sharpening surface with a cylindrbal curvature, said sharpening surfaces being axially coextensive and one of said surfaces being of lesser diameter than the other and said segments overlapping at their edges with the edges of the segment of the smaller diameter sharpening surface projecting between the edges blade is manipulated with one or two fingers of the other hand. The sharpener may be held with its axis positioned horizontally as shown or other wise as. desired. Normally. the sharpening surfaces being. used are positioned at the bottom. although when desirable they may be positioned at the side. or top. Surfaces l2, and [6. are. of. the same axial length asv surfaces if and i8 and this is length somewhat greater than the length of a razor blade. Thus, the entire cutting edges. are first stropped and then honed.

In the. embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, a sharpener 241 has a portion 26 shown at the top with an internal sharpening surface 28 of a radius of two inches and a portion 30 shown at the bottom which has an internal sharpening. surface 32 of a radius of one and three-eighths inches. ev sharpener is three inches in length. Surface 32 is smooth glazed except for an etched or frosted honing strip 34 of one-half inch width extending lengthwise of, the sharpener along the center of the surface. Surface 28 is also smooth glazed except for a similar etched or glazed honing strip 36 at the center of the surface. Thus, each of surfaces 28 and 32 comprises a central honing strip having at each side a relatively wide. stropping area.

A razor blade edge is sharpened in the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 by working the edge first on its honing strip and then on the adjacent stropping zone. Thus, a double-edged razor blade 40' is positioned as shown in Figure 5 and rocked back and forth as indicated bythe double arrow and this; hones the edge positioned on strip- M while it strops the. edge positioned on the glazed area of surface 32. In this, way with doubleedged blades one edge is subjected to a stropping action while the other edge is being subjected to a honing action and it has been found that-this is advantageous for certain conditions of use; A single edge blade 42' is sharpened in the mannersimilar to that described above in connection with the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, except that during the honing action the blade is possitionedsomewhat as shown, while during thestropping operation the blade is positioned with the edge being sharpened on the honing strip 36. In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 thesharpened blade is removed in the same manner as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, and except as indicated, the construction and operation is the same in the two embodiments. to

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set surface and forming guard ribs which are thereby positioned respectively at the junctures of the sharpening surfaces.

2. A device for sharpening safety razor blades comprising a unitary glass shell formed of two portions each of which is substantially a segment of a cylinder and presents an inner sharpening surface with a cylindrical curvature, said sharpening surfaces being axially coextensive and having their axes parallel, one of said surfaces having a radius of substantiaILv one and threeeighths of an inch, and the. other of said surfaces having a. radius. of substantially two inches, said segments overlapping at. their edges with the edges of the. segment. Of the smaller diameter sharpening surface projecting, between the edges of the segment of. the larger diameter sharpening surface and forming guard rfbs which are thereby positioned respectively at the iunctures of the sharpening surfaces.

3. A device for sharpening safety razor blades comprising a shell formed of two portions each of which is substantially a segment of a cylinder and presents an inner sharpening surface with acyli'nd'ri'cali curvature, said. sharpening surfaces having their axes. coextensive and positioned adjacent each other within. the shell whereby said sharpening surfaces face onev another. one of said. surfaces being of substantially lesser diameter than the other and said. segments overlapping at their edges with the edges of the segment of the smaller diameter sharpening surface projecting between the edges of the segment of the larger diameter sharpening surface and form ing' ribs which are thereby positioned reiapectrve ly attire J'uncturcs of the sharpening surces.

AR'IHUR: M. EICHORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following, references are of record in the are of this. patent:

UNITED STATES; PATENTS.

Denmark Oct. 19', 1932 

